The Patriots hope their surprise win Sunday went a long way in establishing their identity for the 2024 season -- and beyond.
New England surprised the football world by winning Jerod Mayo's head coaching debut in rather convincing fashion, stifling the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
The impressive win quieted a lot of the naysayers, for a week at least, after an uneven offseason to say the least. The Patriots, of course, parted ways with Bill Belichick, easily the biggest move of the offseason. A roster seemingly bereft of talent paired with some sloppy training camp and preseason play lowered expectations to levels the region hasn't seen since the 1990s.
If it looked and felt like an "us vs. the world" mentality from the Patriots on Sunday, that's probably by design.
"No one is going to ride on a horse and save us," Mayo told SI.com's Albert Breer, recalling his Saturday night message to the team. "This is all we have and all we need."
He added: "That is our mentality."
Mayo also acknowledged his team heard the criticism but added, "The only way you change it is winning football games."
To that point, the negativity could return if New England can't sustain the momentum in Week 2 against Seattle. For now, though, the vibes are good with Mayo leading the charge.
